Due to the refusal of the Amsterdam City Council to tighten local rules for welfare recipients, Amsterdam is moving to a conflict with the secretary of state. In turn, she can block the permission for running a social assistance experiment in the capital.

The permission to start the social assistance experiments depends on the political will of politicians at the national level. Despite obstructions, several municipalities are determined to continue with the experiments for the sake of that part of the population that is suffering under the current social welfare regime. It’s time for new forms of social security, says Sjir Hoeijmakers in

The State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment has sent a document to Members of Parliament proposing a basic income experiment, but the design is meeting criticism from scientists, activists, and others instrumental in the original development of the experiment.

Last August 21, the Dutch woke to find an interesting article in their morning paper, written by Mrs. Annemarie van Gaal. In her weekly Monday column she suggested abolishing the AOW and all other income schemes for individuals above 60 years of age, with their unworkable obligations, bureaucratic regulations, and fees and punishments.

Norbert Klein, the leader of the Vrijzinnige Partij (a small Cultural Liberal Party), has organized a debate about basic income in cooperation with the Vereniging Basisinkomen (the Dutch branch of BIEN). The event is scheduled for Thursday, September 1 2016 from 13:30 to 17:30 in café Dudok, Hofweg 1a, The Hague.